Looking back a nd looking forward - WVSTALooking back a nd looking forward ... school staff who want to learn more about wireless technology and bring that knowledge to ... f o rma

West Virginia Science Teachers Association

LAB REPORT - February 2018 Volume 21 Number 1

Looking back and looking forward

Highlights from the WVSTA 2017 ConferenceMore than 250 science educators from across West Virginia learned and shared together at the November 2-4 conference at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling. Pre-service teachers, new teachers, and experienced teachers participated in more than 50 sessions including two workshops presented by HHMI BioInteractive and a sharethon featuring the action research of the ESS Passport participants. Opening speaker Melinda Higgins led us in the state’s largest Plicker poll (pictured above.) Dr. Lonnie Thompson inspired us to teach, continue to be lifelong learners, and make a difference in our world. Thank you to Libby Strong, Linda Fonner and everyone who worked on the the Conference Committee for coordinating a very successful event. The NASA WV Space Grant Consortium and the ESS Passport provided funds for scholarships .

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SAVE THE DATE - 2018 Conference - October 25-27

The WVSTA Fall Conference 2018 will be held at the beautiful Stonewall Jackson Resort. Angela McKeen is the conference coordinator. Please contact her at [email protected] if you live or teach in the area and can be part of the boots on the ground team.

Please share this newsletter with your colleagues. Send us your news and information. Follow WVSTA on Facebook and Twitter. Newsletter editors: Josh Revels ([email protected]) and Carolyn Thomas ( [email protected] )

Congratulations to Erika Klose - Milken Educator Erika Klose loves giving her students the

opportunity to imagine themselves in real science situations, whether it's a treasure hunt using GPS units, or turning her classroom into a water quality testing lab or wearing protective glasses to view the recent solar eclipse. They think they're having fun – she knows they're learning by experience. She is a 2017-18 recipient of the Milken Educator Award, a national recognition, which comes with an unrestricted $25,000 cash prize. Klose is the only Milken Educator Award winner from West Virginia this year. The Milken Educator Awards, hailed by Teacher magazine as the "Oscars of Teaching" has been opening minds and shaping. A National Board Certified teacher, Klose is a member of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and National Association of Geoscience Teachers, as well as president-elect of the West Virginia Science Teachers Association. http://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/newsroom/press-releases/view/erika-klose-wv-teacher-receives-25000-milken-educator-awar

Summer Opportunities

● National High Magnetic Field Laboratory - this six-week residential program gives teachers from across the country the chance to participate in real-world science with MagLab scientists. Through weekly seminars, discussion groups, professional development and technology workshops, teachers develop strategies and resources to translate the experience into material for their classrooms. Each teacher accepted by the program receives a stipend, classroom materials and, if necessary, travel support and housing. Teachers are expected to return to their jobs as leaders in service education, implementing science research in their classrooms. https://nationalmaglab.org/education/teachers/professional-development/research-experiences-for-teachers


● SET Sail STEM Educator Training Workshops - are offered on-site at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Training focuses on the use of project-based learning in topics such as engineering design, chemistry, physics, math, robotics, programming, biology, and SeaPerch. A week-long training is offered two times during the summer, with additional one-day workshops offered each year in September and February. Advanced registration is required, and is posted on the Applications page in August and January. https://www.usna.edu/STEM/teachers.php

● Earth and Space Science (ESS) Passport- an amazing professional development program which has been funded for three years by the Math Science Partnership (MSP) Program allocated by the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE). Selected science teachers will receive a stipend along with 10 tuition-waived graduate credits in physical science from Fairmont State University for participating in the program with a cohort for two years. ESS Passport participants are trained in ESS content, WV Next Generation Science Standards (WV NxGen & NGSS), engineering design, and best pedagogical practices. During the two years teachers are provided with classroom materials and activity guides to assist in the implementation of activities. Teachers attend two summer workshops (Green Bank Observatory with Earth and space science content specialists and Fairmont State University with NASA IV&V Educator Resource Center). Visit www.esspassport.org for more information OR advance to the following link to apply: http://www.fairmontstate.edu/esspassport/ess-passport-registration

● Pulsar Search Collaboratory - A six-week online training session and participation in data analysis throughout the academic year through an online database. Students and teacher can communicate with students, teachers, and professional astronomers through an online forum. You will also have the chance to attend a week-long summer workshop at the Green Bank Observatory in Pocahontas County, West Virginia and a Capstone event at West Virginia University. Teachers get to involve their students in authentic scientific research earn WVU credit and a stipend all while working with the largest telescope in the United States. Learn more - http://wvutoday-archive.wvu.edu/n/2013/08/27/teenage-radio-wavet. Apply online - http://pulsarsearchcollaboratory.com/teacherapp/

● Every year the American Radio Relay League (the US national ham radio organization) offers an all expenses paid training in wireless technology to teachers and the teachers also receive equipment for their schools. The teachers do not need to be ham radio operators.,The Teachers Institute has provided teachers at all grade levels with tools and strategies to introduce basic electronics, the science of radio, space technology and satellite communications, as well as weather science, introduction to micro-controllers and basic robotics in their classrooms. The curriculum is designed for motivated teachers and other school staff who want to learn more about wireless technology and bring that knowledge to their students. Learn more - http://www.arrl.org/teachers-institute-on-wireless-technology


RESOURCES FOR TEACHING Do you have a go-to resource for your classroom? Let us know and we will feature it .

ESRI GeoInquiries GeoInquiries are short, standards-based inquiry activities for teaching map-based concepts found in commonly used textbooks. Content includes Earth Science (Mining, REmote Sensing, North American Landform, Tectonic Plates), Environmental Science (Population Dynamics, Water Resources, Marine Debris) and cross curricular study for math, elementary, history and literature. http://education.maps.arcgis.com/home/index.html

Prompts for Integrating Crosscutting Concepts Into Assessment and Instruction This set of prompts is intended to help teachers elicit student understanding of crosscutting concepts in the context of investigating phenomena or solving problems. These prompts can be used as part of a multi-component assessment tasks—or they can be used in formative assessment discussions in the classroom. These prompts should not be used in isolation, and the blanks provided are intended to be determined using the content of the scenario presented at the beginning of a multi-component task. The prompts can be open-ended, as shown below. They can also be turned into multiple choice questions. These prompts were developed using A Framework for K-12 Science Education and Appendix G of the Next Generation Science Standards, along with relevant educational research.

http://stemteachingtools.org/assets/landscapes/STEM-Teaching-Tool-41-Cross-Cutting-Concepts-Prompts.pdf

Looking for a field trip? Between February and June 2018, the WVU Outdoor Education Center's Educational Adventure programs is available exclusively to all West Virginia K-12 groups at special rates. This includes Zip-Line Canopy Tour, Indoor Climbing Wall and outdoor climbing programs. With the addition of our Science Behind the Sport curriculum, students can explore practical applications of STEM and how these concepts apply to each respective Adventure program. For more information - https://adventurechallenge.wvu.edu/files/d/48ffd1cd-8873-40e7-8719-492cc7e4e763/2017-activity-guide.pdf


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Looking back a nd looking forward - WVSTALooking back a nd looking forward ... school staff who want to learn more about wireless technology and bring that knowledge to ... f o rma